Scales for "Sex machine"

The school ensemble which i'm in are gonna play the James Brown classic "Sex machine" at the last day of school-show. We're playing it in Eb and i'm asked to do a bass solo, i've been thinking about it but i don't know what scale to do, been thinking about penta or some bebop scale. Any tips on scales i'm grateful for

This really depends on the arrangement you are performing but "Sex Machine" generally has a pretty funky, driving bassline. It has been my experience that on some songs(like this one) where the bassline "drives" the song when I drop out of my bassline to solo the groove is lost or greatly deminished. This of course all depends on the drummer and what lines the guitar(s) and other rythym instruments are playing.
For this reason I sometimes like to approach my solo by first playing the bassline and "showing it off" in all it's super funky glory, remember, just because you've been playing it for 5 mins doesn't mean everybody's been paying attention to it. I then sometimes add a bit, but not to much as to loose the groove, then bring it back home.
I find this technique especially effective when people are dancing, nothing clears a dance floor more quickly than a "deep" or complex bass solo in the middle of a funk tune.
Anyways.....just a thought............

Use Eb Dorian and you'll be all set. Dorian is THE Funk scale. For some extra coolness, throw in the occasional flat fifth.

Click to expand...

I'm sorry, but with all respect, this just sounds like complete rubbish to me...

Nobody has even mentioned the quality of the chords being played or whether we're in major or minor - funk is a rhythmic feel nothing to do with scales and you can't just say : play Dorian, whatever the tune is...

Its James Brown Sex Machine. There is only one chord. The key is enough information to completely define the song....

Click to expand...

There are many chords that will fit within a key and what's all this stuff about Eb Dorian then? Just as if we're playing D Dorian, we are actually playing a C Major scale, if we play Eb Dorian, then we are effectively playing a Db Major scale - and can you apply the Dorian mode to any funk tune...no matter what chords? :scowl:

Okay, let me be more specific, then. For most funk songs that have a minor-ish feel (which is the case for a whole damn lot of funk songs, including "Sex Machine"), the Dorian scale is probably most appropriate to use for your bass line or a non-jazzy solo when the tonic is played. Happy now, Mr. Lindfield?

By the way, we're talking about "Sex Machine", we ain't got no need for yer crazy jazz logic.

Its Mixo all the way and because of that there alot of availible alterations.

Some Horns Guy look at these songs and think Modal Funk.Personally, I play the Blues.

To the original poster

Try a combination of Mixolydian,Dorian and Major and minor pentatonic, and the "blues scale"

Make simple,Very Rhythmic themes and repeat them. The Magic number is three times and move on.Try to create groups phrases that last 2,Four or eight bars. actually If you ceated 2,8 bars then 2,4bars then 4, 2 bars it would be effective.When you feel you almost done, play more, this could very controld and "perfect" or Just go nuts keep this section short. then either bang a BIG OL" EFLAT(might work well if you've gone the go nuts road) to let them know your done or play a simple melody something that says "there thats the end" dont noodle past this point your done enjoy it!

my funk band played this song back when it was still together, and the funny thing is, that the song itself is not actually in dorian. it's definitely Eb, but when James Brown played his little piano solo-y thing in the middle, he played a #9 over top of it; the song itself is in Eb mixolydian. listen to the guitar chords, and you can hear the G natural. so i would recommend playing things which fit over that scale: blues scale, dominant (mixolydian), minor pentatonic (not major, in this case, it would be too happy, as you already said). the bridge goes to an Ab7. good luck.